“The New Year”

Ephesians 5: 15-21 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Did you make any New Year resolutions for 2014? I hope they pan out for you according to your efforts.

A psychiatrist once said, “If we kept all of our new years resolutions, we would all be smarter, wealthier, thinner, healthier and bored. After all, aren’t most New Year’s resolutions a promise to stop doing something we enjoy?” Seems to be a great truth in that thought process.

However, if you are a true believer in Christ as Lord and Savior of the world, then we need to follow these verses of God’s word faithfully. We need to be, “redeeming the time, because the days are evil”.

What the world seems to call progress, God’s word calls evil.

Never before, in any 50-year stretch of American history, has our country turned so sinful so fast and there’s more to come.

America has slipped into such a mess and it’s getting worse, not better. Satan is having a great time destroying morality in our culture like never before.

According to God’s word, a fool doesn’t care about God’s word and what it says, but as Christians, our duty is to redeem the time by understanding and doing the will of God in our world.

This is a very serious call to accept our stewardship of the time God has given to us. Time is running out for many folks that are perishing.

In the last 50 years of American history, the American leadership has embraced banishing the blue laws, divorce, abortion, homosexuality, adultery and co-habitation; profanity, violence and total mayhem in our movies, gambling at casinos; the banning of prayer in schools across America, removing the Ten Commandments from important places, and if that’s not enough, even the words, “Merry Christmas” are being taken out of everyplace possible, while drugs are rampant. Even many Christians support so many of these sins. We the Church, have fallen asleep on the job. God has given us the marvelous opportunity to “redeem the time”. What do you think the next 25 years will look like?

Wake-up American Christian! We are to be God pleasers, not men pleasers. We too must be about our Father’s business.

What are your resolutions and priorities for 2014? I pray they include knowing who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you and then, redeem your time and use it wisely.

Churches are dying off because Satan has created a great havoc in the churches in America, from large metropolitan areas to small towns and communities. It is foolish not to redeem our time.

I pray that 2014 is a year of revival in your heart, your church and in our town and country.

Verses 18, 19, and 20 are a great formula for living your life and redeeming the time. Make that a resolution for your New Year!!